Breathing apparatus



June 10, 1930. V J, uvoss I 1,763,492

' BfiEATI-EING APPARATUS Filed may 19, 192 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 //v1 //v TOR James 0 Voss June 10, 1930. J. o. voss BREATHING APPARATUS Filed May 19, 192? r 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 10, 1930 omen STATES PATENT oFFrcE JAMES DOUGLAS VOSS, ,OF OAKLEIGI-I, NEAR MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA BREATHING APPARATUS Application filed May 19, 1927. Serial No. 192,760.

This invention refers to apparatus for dequently, at a high rate of speed than at a livering oxygen and the like in cases of asslow rate.

.phyxia and means combined with such ap- In order to more readily understand the paratus for neutrallzlng poisonous gases, invention, reference will now be made to the and has been devlsed with the ob ect of proaccompanying drawings in which 55 viding simple and eilicient means whereby Figure lis a viewshowing main portions workers in areas where poisonous gases are of the invention before assembly. prevalent may perform their duties without Figure 2 is a detail view showing gas inlet fear of inhaling the fumes surrounding them. and regulating means.

Furthermore, the apparatus embodies Figure 3 is a vertical central section showan means whereby poisonous gases are neutraling gas neutralizing chamber.

ized before reaching the nostrils or mouth of igure 4 is a view showing the gas mask the worker. and,

Apparatus for the purpose above men- Figure 5 1S a .detall View showing sleeve .15 tioned has been described in prior Commonvalve arrangement. a

wealth Patent N o. 24:591/25 and the present 1 According to this invention a cylinder 5 is invention embodies additional features and provided having pivotally mounted arms 6 a considerably simplified construction of ap adapted to hold the cap 7 supporting the gas paratus. neutralizing chamber 8, the cap 9 carrying The basic principle underlying the pres the gas regulating means being received on 70 ent invention consists in the use of a cylinthe end of the cylinder to which it is shown der housing a gas regulating means operadjacent in Figure I. able by means of the incoming supply of The gas regulating means comprises a roh means f 1yin th a t tor 10 which is under the cap 9, said rotor k, d means for neutralizing poisonous 10 being mounted on the spindle 11 formed in gases encountered by the wearer. he manner of a worm as at 12.

One of the essential features of the inven- The rotor 10 is provided on its periphery tion consists in the use of a sleeve valve for With a series of pockets or vanes 10 such supplying Oxygen t th requiring it, h pockets or vanes being adapted to receive a .3 valve being formed by mounting a toothed Charge of oxygen or the like against them in 80 wheel on a hollow spindle provided with a similar manner that a turbine receives gas inlet, the spindle supporting means besteam, thus, when the incoming pressure of ing hollow so that a passage is opened from oxygen from asuitable oxygen cylinder (not the cylinder, in which the sleeve valve and Shown) impinges against the pockets, or

1 adjacent parts are housed, to the mask upon vanes, on the rotor 10, said rotor is caused 8 each revolution of the toothed wheel. to spin.

The toothed wheel meshes with a worm The spinning of the rotor 10 causes the formed on or integral with a rotor provided worm 12 to rotate and in so doing, the toothed with vanes or pockets on its periphery, the Wheel 13 moves also, said toothed wheel havoxygen inlet being disposed to direct a ing a boss 14: with an orifice 15 therein which 90 stream of oxygen upon said vanes or pockets is adapted to register with an orifice 16 in so causing the rotor to spin. the spindle support 17 the said support 17 be- By so doing, the toothed wheel is caused 111g hollow by providing a passage way 18 to revolve and as the oxygen is under prestherein which communicates with the tube 19 sure in the cylinder, small quantities are percommunicating with the gas mask 20. 95

mitted to flow into the sleeve valve, thence to The oxygen after rotating the rotor 10 en the mask, on each revolution, the number of ters the compartment 21 of the cylinder 5 revolutions governing the amount of oxygen where it is obvious a certain pressure sets up permitted to flow to the mask, as it is eviand as the rotor 10 continues to spin, the

: dent that the sleeve valve willopen more freorifice 15 in the boss 14 of the toothed wheel we through the lower gauze I lates through cotton wool or'like material 8", where hopcalite,

13, registers with the orifice 16 in the hollow support oxygen to flow to the pipe line 19 which engages with the pipe line 19 which passes into a short pipe member 22 on the cap 7.

It will be obvious that according to the pressure of the incoming charge of oxygen, so the rotor will spin fast or slow and consequently the worm 12 causes the toothed wheel 13 to correspondingly rotate, thus causing the orifice 15 to register-with the orifice. 14 more or less frequently.

Upon the side of the cylinder and below the partition 23 which forms .the bottom of the chamber 21 of the cylinder 5, is an inlet cap 24'provided with a plurality of openings'25 through which poisonous gases are adapted to pass and before such gases can reach the short pipe 22, they pass through. a neutralizing chamber 8 shown more particularly in Figure 3. This chamber is adapted to be fitted to thecap 7 by forming a screwed extension 7 on the end of the chamber 8 which is adapted to engage with a correspondingly screwed portion 7 formed in the short pipe Within. the chamber 8 are a series of'partitions 8 which are spaced apart as shown and these partitions are formed of perforated material preferably of the nature of wire gauze. V

The gases, on entering the cap 24, pass upwardly through the inlet 26 where, on passing partition 8", percothence through the gauze partition 8 they meet a layer 27 of 150 cubic centimetres of activated charcoal, they then percolate through a further layer of wire gauze 8", cotton wool 8, and gauze 8 to meet a layer 28 of 200 cubic centimetres of fused caustic on pumice, then through gauze 8 cotton wool 8 and gauze 8 to pass through a layer 29 of 250 cubic centimetres of calcium chloride.

They then pass through a further gauze 8", cotton wool 8, and gauze partition 8 to meet a layer 30 containing 400 thence upwardly through a gauze partition 8", cotton wool 8, and gauze 8*, where they pass through a composition in the space 31 comprising 450 cubic centimetres of silica gell, and upon passing through this latter component the gases arethen neutralized and prior to passing through the outlet 7*,

they pass through a further wire gauze 8 and cotton wool 8", and finally a gauge 8".

The gases'thus neutralized pass through the short pipe 22 thenceupwardly to connect the mask 20 via the pipe 32. V

I do not make any claim, for the particular construction of mask withthe exception that a flexiblepipe 33 is vulcanized or otherwise affixed between theeye pieces 34, this pipe being the oxygen supply means and is adapted toengage with the pipe 19 where it pro- 17, thus permitting a quantity of 34 perfectly 'pin valve 37 which 'of oxygen cubic centimetres of jects beyond the edge of the short pipe 22.

The pipe 33 not only supplies the oxygen to the wearer but also keeps the eye pieces 34 clear for vision as it will be obvious that with the wearer breathin into such a small space as a gas mask, although most of the exhaled air passes outwardly through the valves 35, that within the gas mask certain condensation occurs which fogs the eye pieces 34 and by providing an orifice 36 on the pipe line 33,'the oxygen is caused to be directed on to the eyepieces, thus preventing condensation and thereby maintaining the eye pieces clear under all conditions and permitting the user to work without being hampered by dulled glasses.

The oxygen supply cylinder (not. shown) is connected to the apparatus described by means of a flexible or other pipe line which engages with the screw boss 9 formed on the cap 9, a small orifice 9 permitting the said oxygen to impinge against the rotor 10.

The oxygen supply to the wearer of the mask 20, may be regulated by means of the functions in the well known manner, that is, to close or open, or partly so, the passage to the pipe 19 from the chamber 21. i

I do not wish to limit myself tothe use as it will be apparent from the foregoing description that an anaesthetic may be administered by the apparatus described, or, in the case of pulmonary complaints, intermittent doses of glycerine and oxygen may be administered as previously described in prior Commonwealth Patent referred to.

The salient features of the present invention and thosefor which I desire to secure protection are the particular means for supplying intermittent ment to a patient or in dangerous areas and to the combination therewith of gas neutralizing means as here in described, the apparatus as described is doses of a gaseous elecompact, small and of no great weight, perdescribed means separatfor said canister adapted to be connected to a mask, means connecting the discharge of said oxygen regulating device with said nipple, and an inlet intermediate the ends of said casing for admitting poison gasesto said canister.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the

to the wearer of a mask oxygen regulating device including a connection adapted to be put in communication with a supply of oxygen under pressure, a rotor, actuated by the Velocity of the oxygen from said supply, and a periodically opening valve actuated by said rotor.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the oxygen regulating device including a connection adapted to be placed in communication with a supply of oxygen under pressure, a rotor actuated by the velocity of the oxygen from said supply, and a periodically opening valve actuated by said rotor, said valve including a sleeve, and a hollow boss acting as a support for said sleeve, the passage within said boss being in communication with the outlet of said regulating device, said sleeve being formed with an aperture registering with the passagein said boss at each revolution of said sleeve, and gearing carried by said sleeve operatively connected to said rotor.

Signed at Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, this 8th day of April, 1927.

JAMES DOUGLAS VOSS. 

